Pink Dust
by MystikalFaery
Summary: NEW UPDATE! Team Kakashi was dispatched to investigate a mysterious disturbance of chakra. Sakura got separated from the rest of the team while on watch. Landing, butt first, in a cave, with none other than Uchiha Sasuke...with no way out. *** NEWLY UPDATED *** Minor changes have been made to the previous chapters, especially chapters 2 and 3.
1. Trapped!

I might be messing with the timeline a bit, please don't kill me! But it's the best way to be true to the manga. It is during the time Sasuke is with Orochimaru, but (for obvious reasons) I would like to make them older, 18 sound good?

This is a little update from the first time I posted this chapter, some things to the plot have changed because I cannot make up my mind. However, it doesn't change much of the story thus far.

If you are reading this for the first time, great! I hope you enjoy!

For those who have read the first few chapters, I'm sorry! I had to change a few things to fit my ever-changing plot (please don't kill me).

I hope it all fits together...

 **WARNING** : lemon! And more coming up. If you do not like reading mature content or are underage, I would suggest you back out. Read at own risk.

I do not own Naruto, sadly

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Chapter 1: Trapped!

 _Hands. Small delicate hands, white-knuckled. Sensually gripping the sheets as though clinging for dear life. Strong yet slender arms, a naked torso, pert nipples on creamy mounds bathed luminous, looking almost ethereal, in the moonlight. Milky skin, beaded with sweat, chest rising and falling rapidly. Heavy, labored breathing, panting. Surrounding darkness, amplifying every sound, every movement, every sensation._

 _Oh, and there were so many sensations overpowering his mind and his body. Not knowing where he began and where she ended as their limbs were entangled; desperately trying to get even closer. Her strong and slender legs wrapped around his waist, urging him closer yet. He crushed his lips to hers like a person dying of thirst, their tongues battling passionately. He broke the kiss and started nibbling down her jaw, to her throat where his tongue was massaging little circles over the sensitive flesh, trailing sloppy kisses between the valley of her breasts, tasting the sweat and saltiness of her delicious body. She tasted and smelled of cherries and it was driving him insane with lust. Each onslaught of his tongue and his lips encouraged another luscious moan from her swollen lips._

" _Sasuke-Kun…"_

 _Hearing her breathlessly rasping his name out of pure raw desire, he felt little goosebumps run down his back. And it caused his already frenzied movements to intensify, adding more fuel to an already raging fire. His lips and warm tongue grazing down to her navel, one hand cupping a single breast, rolling the hard pebble in between his fingers. The other running up and down her waist and finally resting on her hip. A rough and calloused thumb tracing little circles on her hip bone, slowly edging down towards her clothed heated center._

 _Removing his hand from her breasts, his thumbs hooked either side of her panties. Pulling them down while his tongue lay a wet trail down her taut stomach, his keen eyes fixed upwards. Finding the view almost too erotic to bear. The way her back was arched, giving him a perfect view of her breasts, rising and falling. He did not know how he was still able to go slow, be in control like this; when the raging fire inside him threatened to explode. He was hinging on insanity, he had to feel her warmth surround him. He had to claim her as his. Never has Uchiha Sasuke desired something so desperately; so intensely. Far surpassing his hatred. The need for the beautiful creature beneath him overshadowed his need for revenge as though it was a distant memory. From a different life. He felt alive, free. For the first time since he could remember._

 _She whimpered in anticipation as her underwear was discarded, his hot kisses trailing lower yet. She gripped his ebony locks with trembling fingers, urging him to reach his destination faster. He smirked noticing her breath hitch as he hovered over her womanhood, he could smell her sweet and musky arousal and it tempted his resolve and control to finally shatter. He ran his tongue slowly yet firmly up her center and over her clit, lingering there as he closed his mouth around the little swollen bud, sucking gently._

 _Stars. Exploding stars was all he could see from tasting her. Her loud and carnal moans, nails digging into his skull urging him closer, her trembling legs tightened around his head as the orgasm shook her entire body. And in so doing, annihilating what was left of any control he thought he had._

" _Nnnn-Sas-ahh oh god…!"_

"Sakura!"

Obsidian eyes opened with a snap and Uchiha Sasuke sat bold upright, Kunai in one hand as though expecting an onslaught. His heart was hammering against his chest as he searched the darkness frantically, trying to see what had woken him from his dream-

Oh god, the dream he had just had.

Visions of his vivid and lewd dream came flooding back to him in an instant along with a dull throbbing in his temple. The Uchiha felt the heat creeping up his neck, creating a faint blush on his cheeks. Now, despite everything, Sasuke was still a man. A well reserved, self-disciplined man. But, a man nonetheless. He had urges just like any other healthy, hot-blooded male. This did not mean, however, that he wasn't any less disturbed by the erotic dream he just had of his former team-mate.

Try as he might, he was at a complete loss as to why he'd had a dream that vivid, and about Sakura no less. He frankly couldn't even remember falling asleep. His countless hours of meditation and training to shut off all emotions except the hatred he required to fuel his need to avenge his lost clan. Those meager emotions meant nothing to him. They weren't worth his time and it was an insult to be victim to these common urges as though he was some weakling.

Giving his head a shake to clear it, he stowed his kunai back in his weapon pouch. Only to have something else catch his attention. Something that made him freeze; he didn't really notice it (and he wanted to kick himself for it) because he sat still. But as he twisted his torso to put his weapon away, the movement made his discomfort between his legs painfully obvious. For a second he didn't know what to even make of this, it hadn't happened to him in such a long time. He was almost apprehensive of the raging hard-on staring him in the face. Heart thudding sickeningly loud, he was actually at loss of what to do, the genius he is… This sensation was foreign to him, alien. It was so raw and invigorating, something akin to having a bucket of cold water dumped on him.

' _This is ridiculous!'_ He thought to himself, he wasn't going to let a situation like this get the better of him!

He wiped the sweat from his face in a frustrated manner, threw off the covers, stood up and walked as normally as he could, ignoring atrocious indisposition he had somehow gotten himself into. He was in need of a cold, cold shower. He focused his gaze instead on the rough stone walls as he made his way to the grotto, trying to take his mind off his current situation.

The cave he was currently occupying, was an entirely new development. Something he had stumbled upon quite by accident. Granted, Uchiha Sasuke never did anything by accident, the very phrase was an insult to his being. How he had discovered this place, however, was completely and innocently, by accident.

Visibly annoyed, the Uchiha entered a cavern which was illuminated with many green crystals. The hissing sound of the waterfall, usually a comforting feeling, did nothing to quell the irritation he felt for his sudden 'display of weakness'. Without hesitation, the Uchiha disrobed and walked into the rock pool and stood under the waterfall, relishing the cold water shocking his body.

Back then, on some days he would leave the hideout for a walk or, to find a different view for training or meditation. He was sure Orochimaru was aware of his disappearance for a couple of hours every few days, but he didn't care. Neither did Orochimaru, for that matter, as he didn't try and stop him.

' _Hmpf'_ he scoffed to himself. ' _As if he could.'_

He knew the greatest of the Legendary Sannin was no one to be taken lightly and deemed him a formidable foe. The sneak-like Nin was getting weaker, however. His temporary body already showing signs of failing. It was almost time for him to perform the Fushi Tensei jutsu. Taking a new body, Sasuke's body; thus prolonging his life yet again and achieving his dream of finally harnessing the Sharingan.

But Uchiha Sasuke had other plans.

He did not need Orochimaru anymore. He had learned all he could from the vile snake lover he had come to despise. Hence his sneaking off to hone a skill he had been working on in utmost secrecy. He had been training endlessly for a few months, focusing only on perfecting his new jutsu; a convergence of fire and lightning called blast style. Coupled with his Kekkei Genkai, formidable stamina he had obtained by training every waking moment and vast chakra reserves he had been able to reach the point in which he achieved an entirely new chakra nature. It was not easy, he would admit. It was worth every second of his blood, sweat, and tears.

Well…not tears.

Obviously.

Che.

In the early stages of developing the jutsu, he had little to no risk of anyone unwanted finding out what he was up to. It would simply seem like he was training his Chidori and the fireball jutsu to strengthen his stamina. But as the jutsu progressed and got more refined; it wasn't safe to further his training where he was currently residing. He needed to take the jutsu to the next stage, the change in chakra nature by combining the fire and lightning styles into one fluent strike. And from then on he could increase the capacity, accuracy, and succession of hits which was, in Sasuke's opinion, the trick to the efficiency of a jutsu.

* _previously*_

He had been going on walks more frequently, scouting for the perfect hideout (if you will) away from the current hideout they had been staying at for the past week. They were in fire country for the first time in a long while of laying low. And, Sasuke was reluctant to admit, it left him with a sense of…what was it? Nostalgia? Longing? No, it can't be. He shook his head as if these sudden emotions were an irksome fly.

The dense and lush forest did feel comforting to him, he couldn't deny. They had been at the northern hideout for too long. It was cold, dark and damp. The air was thin and uncomfortable high up in the mountains. True the odds of being discovered were close to zero in such detrimental conditions, which was why it was the ideal hideout. One, sadly, they spent most of their time in. So, with the Uchiha feeling elated by the forest wasn't because he was in his home country or close to his old village. No. Definitely not…

A sudden sensation roused the Uchiha from his inner musings and made him stop in his tracks. It was very faint; anyone else would have missed it. It was a very subtle tingling feeling, like a light caress. It felt heavy yet gentle caressing his very being. He shivered, nonplussed. There was only one thing that could produce a feeling like this. Chakra. Powerful chakra at that. His Sharingan activated as a reflex and his eyes scanned the surroundings for any intruders. But there were none. On second thought, this didn't feel like it belonged to ninja. Or any human for that matter. No. It was from something else. Something old. Very old. He had never felt chakra like this before. Without a second thought, he turned in the direction that felt…right and started walking.

A soft gasp left his lips as the faint sensation suddenly intensified slightly. It was now like a slight vibration in his chest. He felt dizzy and nauseous with each step he took. Deeper and deeper into the forest. But that didn't deter his pursuit. The fact of the matter was, he was curious. Curious what on earth could have an effect on him like this. Oddly, he wasn't worried about an enemy ambush. Somehow he knew it wasn't something like that. He just kept walking, or rather, let his feet carry him.

The vibration in his chest intensified slightly, surging down his arms and lingering on his fingertips. It made the hairs on his neck stand on end. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling. It was an unearthly feeling. As though he had stumbled into a dream. The Uchiha heir shook his head to get rid of the fogginess that swept over him, but unable to do so. Still, he didn't stop walking. He didn't think he would be able to stop even if he wanted to. He felt a strange kind of pressure in his solar plexus as though he was hooked by an invisible rope. And still, he wasn't worried or afraid.

Logic should have told him that this was some sort of trap. To get out of there! Now! But the gentle hum kept those actions at bay, keeping him calm, ensuring he was doing the right thing. That, along with his deep curiosity urged his feet forward.

There was something emitting a faint glow in the distance. He was sure that it had something to do with the strange sensation he was experiencing. His feet kept moving without hesitation towards the entity of pink light. Apprehension filled him. What would happen if he touched it? Somehow it felt like it was speaking to him, though he could not understand what it was saying.

He was now close enough to almost touch it as his feet stopped moving. Exhilaration filled each cell in his body like fire and he extended his hand to the strange sphere twinkling pleasantly at him. It somehow felt so familiar, but try as he may, he could not fathom why.

Usually, the stoic Uchiha would have more sense than to touch some unknown entity without examining it. But this situation is anything but usual. And it seemed that he did not have any say in the matter. Regardless of it being his choice or not, Sasuke's outstretched hand grazed the floating ball of pink light and was struck by a sensation he had not expected at all.

He was struck with an intense need so deep, it made his knees buckle. A groan escaped his lips as he felt a tingle in his lower abdomen and an aching in his loins. I happened so suddenly, he couldn't help but react to the sensation. He doubled over panting slightly.

The moment he touched the sphere, a vision flashed in his mind. A vision of Sakura in his arms, kissing her, holding her for dear life. Feeling intense arousal at her touch, her smell. It happened so fast, in flashes as though they were a memory.

It was gone as quickly as it had come. Sasuke opened his eyes, only now realizing he had them closed. Instead of his gaze refocusing on the forest, he saw nothing but blackness. Before he could even form a thought or curse, before he could even take another breath he was falling. Falling into nothingness.

Had his instincts failed him? After all those years of relentless training, honing his body, mind, and chakra. His Kekkei Genkai, Intelligence. Did all of that mean nothing?

Without a sound, the last remaining Uchiha fell into a deep chasm of nothingness.

 _*back to present*_

And that is how the great Uchiha Sasuke ended up in his current situation. Stuck. In a fucking cave, with no way out.


	2. Two Kinds of Weakness

I'm sooooo sorry that this took so long! I wanted to post this two weeks ago! I'm quite glad I didn't though because each time I read through it I see different inconsistencies or mistakes. And it also helps me make the plot more interesting!

I have added another section as well. The story is progressing a lot slower than I would have liked, but I want to get the setting right. The last part is written quite hastily and I am way behind on my deadline I set for myself! I'm not totally happy with it yet!

Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favs! I am so happy!

To the reviews I couldn't pm:

Kisskiss: I like that too, I want them to be each other's firsts. We all know Sakura would wait for him forever and he is the only one for her. And I don't see Sasuke as a sexual person at all, owing to the fact that hatred has consumed his life. That is why I have written the plot this way. I love romantic stories, but I also don't want it to be real, as real as possible. And we all know the Uchiha is an emotionally stunted fool. (Although we all love him dearly!) and don't worry, Sakura is a warrior in my eyes. She's not that little love-sick child anymore. You'll see! :) thanks for your review!

Bunto: Thank you for your review, hope you like this next chapter!

M rated for language

I do not own Naruto! *cries*

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Chapter 2: Two Kinds of Weakness

"Have you been sleeping properly?"

"Yes, Shishou."

"Any headaches or migraines?"

Every two weeks for the last two months they have been going through with this. Oh and how Sakura hated her checkups with Lady Tsunade. It usually starts with the Godaime fixing her with a hawk-like stare, followed by a nasty checklist of grueling, invasive and, not to mention, downright embarrassing questions she had to answer truthfully. Or may Kami-Sama have mercy on her soul.

"Not since last week, Shishou."

"Any nosebleeds or blackouts?"

Sakura froze for a second. _'How could she have she known that?'_

"I woke up last night from a nosebleed, Hokage-Sama." Sakura sighed, dread filling her. "It was minor and I was able to stop it immediately." She added quickly, hopefully.

Tsunade regarded her intently and didn't say anything except, "when the blackouts start, come to me immediately." Her amber eyes filled with concern. "It would then mean that it has progressed."

"Hai, Shishou." Sakura replied, bowing her head. Of course, she knew what this meant. She was a medical-nin after all. Nosebleeds and blackouts in extreme proportions have a hand in a cerebral aneurysm, which would mean that whatever is happening in her mind, it has an effect on her physical brain.

"When was your last 'episode'?" Tsunade asked pointedly.

"Two nights ago, Shishou." Sakura whispered. "It was minor, isolated in the occipital lobe mildly affecting my vision. No other side effects."

"I have never seen seizures shift from one part of the brain to the other in such a random and erratic manner. It's most troublesome." Tsunade's hand rested on her forehead in frustration. "It is the reason we are having trouble with locating the cause of this condition."

"Hai, Shishou." Sakura agreed.

"Have you been eating?" Tsunade continued.

"Uh…you know how it gets at the clinic-"

A loud bang followed by a crack cut her off sharply as the Hokage's fist collided with her wooden desk. "Sakura! Weren't you the one constantly badgering me for a mission?!"

"Yes, Shishou. I-"

"Then if you want me to clear you, you know you need to meet every single one of the requirements on my checklist. You of all people should realize the seriousness of your situation! You. Need. To. Eat!" Again, came her fist down upon the desk at each word emphasizing them.

Sakura bowed her head, a small sigh escaping her lips. "Yes, M'lady. But you know I never really have an appetite."

"And you know why that is. That is exactly the reason you need to eat. Regularly! Especially after your treatments. Your recovery time depends solely on whether you take care of yourself or not. The last one was two weeks ago and you haven't been recovering as you should." Tsunade narrowed her eyes at her favorite student. "You don't want me to cut your hours at the hospital, do you?"

"No!" The pink haired kunoichi's head snapped up, her emerald eyes widening. Sakura shook her head almost desperately her heart stuck in her throat. "Please, Shishou. I promise I will remember to eat regularly. I need my hours at the hospital, I love working, keeping busy. I need it!"

The last thing she needed was fewer hours. It made her feel like she was failing her Hokage and master. It made her feel weak, useless and unnecessary. She had been training to the marrow, past the point of exhaustion.

Past pain and past fear.

Sharpening and honing her skills every waking moment on all levels. Even her weak points. Especially her weak points. She had been doing so well, she felt powerful, accomplished to such a degree that her sparring sessions with Ino were a mere pick-me-up when she was bored; as she had far surpassed the blonde kunoichi. Her stamina and power were at such a level, she gave Naruto a workout. At the same time, storing a large amount of chakra in her forehead, which would ultimately lead her to achieve and release the Strength of a Hundred Seal. Giving her amplified power thanks to her perfect chakra control.

That little twelve-year-old girl who cried about everything, who always walked in the shadows of her comrades. The little girl who was helplessly in love with Sasuke, who would always wait for everyone else to rescue her. That little girl was gone! Now, at eighteen, she was independent and strong. Her own person who never owed anybody anything. All her ceaseless training had paid off. Her peers and superiors all looked up to her in admiration and respect. It was her who had been appointed head medical-nin at Konoha hospital. It was her who had surpassed even Shizune and rivaled the great Sannin herself. It was her who the Godaime turned to for backup whenever she was in a fix or needed a second pair of hands. It was her Tsunade had entrusted the hospital to. She was respected and known as the most skilled medical Nin of her time. Her! Dammit!

And then _this_ happened…These erratic seizures which have no logical origin or pattern. Randomly affects different parts of her brain without any warning; sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste, motor functions. All those things were being affected. And most crucial of all, the ability to naturally replenish her chakra.

It was a miracle that she hadn't died and it was because of the extra chakra she had stored in preparation for the release of the Strength of a Hundred Seal. Sakura had been forced to use her reserved chakra she had been saving just to stay alive. Food pills had very limited chakra replenishing abilities since her body can't naturally produce chakra like it used to. Now she felt like a ticking time-bomb. Waiting for the last of her chakra reserves to be depleted.

According to Tsunade, she had amassed a substantial amount of chakra during the past few years and had more than enough time to find a different course of action before she ran out if she didn't overexert herself. And the Hokage had also been developing a new Jutsu, which is the equivalent of a blood transfusion when a person is in need of new blood. This results in replenishing any lack of white blood cells or hemoglobin, aiding their immune system. The chakra transfusion Jutsu does the same. It is, however, extremely complex, taxing and painful to the caster and the patient. No one but the Godaime has the chakra reserves to even attempt this procedure. The candidate also has to be resilient to handle such an invasive technique.

To say it was painful, would be a vast understatement. Sakura had never felt pain like this in all her life. It was like thousand tiny bolts of lightning striking each and every one of her chakra points. The aim of the procedure is to 'shock' the stagnant chakra awake in her. It has been partly successful. Sakura was delighted to find that it was effected. Only to be disappointed once more.

Once she had recovered - two days later - everything was regulated normally, until she had another 'episode' and all their work was nullified in an instant. It was almost like the seizure had reset itself; like it had a mind of its own. They were back to square one.

Slender fingers gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, making her knuckles turn white. She didn't want to sound like the victim, crying 'why me?' She wanted to move as far away as possible from that little girl she used to be. And for a couple of years, she did. She grew into herself, her true self. Becoming strong and beautiful; the little bud finally blooming into a magnificent flower. There was no more looking back, only moving ahead. Her destiny in sight, close enough to touch. Her dream to finally surpass her Shishou and to be an equal to Naruto. And Sasuke. To be able to protect what she holds dear; her village and the people close to her heart. But why?! Why her? Why did this have to happen to her!

"Sakura! Are you even listening to me?" Tsunade's voice cracked like a whip. "I know you are my most valuable med-nin at the hospital, but if you are not following my rules; hurting yourself more than helping. Why should I keep your hours?"

"Yes, Tsunade-Sama. I apologize." Sakura said, feeling thankful for her Shishou's stern voice, breaking her out of her self-pitying reverie.

' _Cha! Focus, Baka! We are not dead yet!'_ Her inner voice broke through, _'It will take a hell of a lot more to break us down!'_

Her heart feeling lighter from the mental kick in the butt she got from her inner voice, Sakura looked at the Hokage determinedly, shoulders squared. "With all due respect, Shishou. I do not need you to take pity on me; I am more than capable of handling myself. Yes, you have my word that I will eat. Three times a day. I'll even have Naruto tag along to make sure I eat. And we all know how much he eats. I have been sleeping much better lately." She paused slightly.

Sakura shifted guiltily for a fraction of a second. So what if she was bending the truth a little. She'd been having dreams that have been keeping her up at night. But that is nothing to write home about, she can handle that. Renewed in her resolve, she continued as though she had never paused. "I have perfected the Jutsu you taught me, curing my nausea and dizziness. I take my medicine like clockwork. I have developed a new recipe for food pills that slightly sustains my chakra as well as stabilizing my appetite.

She drew a breath, resolute. "Besides, it's only a C-Rank mission and I will have Kakashi-sensei, Naruto and Sai with me."

"Be that as it may, you will be traveling a long distance and this particular mission is time sensitive. Not to mention, the desert at this time of the year is especially deadly. And it is imperative that you are back for your next treatment in two weeks, it cannot be delayed under any circumstances. I don't need to remind you of the consequences if you skip your procedure."

Sakura's head dropped along with her heart. She had been so sure she would be let on a mission again, she could not remember the last time she felt the thrill of danger, tasted a sense of freedom being away from Konoha. It had been months since she had been on a mission.

For a shining moment, she believed Tsunade was going to let her go. Working in the hospital was her life, she loved every moment of it. The liberating feeling of being away from home, however, there was nothing quite like it. And she needed some time away. She could feel the symptoms of cabin fever coming on being holed up in the village. But the Hokage's word was absolute, there was no sense in arguing it.

"You, on the other hand, happen to be right."

Sakura's head shot up just in time to catch a ghost of a smile on Tsunade's lips, but it was gone before she could be sure whether it was real or not.

"You will have Team Kakashi with you and I have the utmost faith in you, Sakura." Her face suddenly split into a rare smile.

"Now," Tsunade snapped, back to her usual self so fast Sakura got whiplash, whilst consulting Sakura's medical file before her. "Get out, I have no time to be chatting away. We are done with the check up for today. The briefing for the mission will be at eight o'clock tonight, so don't be late! And, don't you have rounds to get to?"

"H-hai, Shishou!" Sakura said, hardly daring to believe her luck. She jumped up and gave Tsunade a respectable bow. "Arigatou, Hokage-Sama."

"Psh, don't thank me." Tsunade winked. "You've earned it."

The Uchiha awoke, disoriented in darkness. Not knowing what time of day or day of the month it was. He was lying flat on his back. Where the hell was he? Blinking a couple of times to identify his surroundings had been pointless as it was completely black. His eyes didn't seem to want to adjust.

Then memories came flashing back so suddenly his heart jumped. He had no pain at all when that fall could have killed him. Should have killed him. Wiggling his fingers and toes, then his arms and bending his legs, he deduced that nothing appeared to be broken. Attempting to sit up, however, he regretted at once as an intense feeling of vertigo overtook him, so he lay back down hating himself.

The last time he felt this weak was during the battle with Naruto at the final valley those many years ago. He felt weaker than that even, at least last time he was still able to stand and flee. What was going on? His body felt like lead, yet rubbery at the same time. The merest movements felt like a challenge. It felt like he had just undergone intense training; which could only mean one thing. His chakra levels were the lowest they've ever been.

"Sharingan" except, no sound came out of his mouth.

Something was very wrong, he realized suddenly. His Kekkei Genkai didn't seem to want to activate.

"Sharingan!" Still, no sound to be heard.

By now, Sasuke was getting beyond angry, mostly because a distant and unknown emotion was starting to set it; panic. It was emotion he did not think he could possibly still experience. An emotion, long forgotten like all the other wasteful childish things. But there it was, weighing down on his chest, adding to the heavy feeling in his muscles. It was getting difficult to breathe.

' _Calm down, Uchiha_!' He reprimanded himself. ' _Get a fucking grip on yourself!_ '

Forcing down a few deep breaths made it easier. He needed to focus on familiarizing himself with his surroundings, which would give an indication as to where the hell he could possibly be. Slowly, he tried to sit up again, with it being too much effort, he lay back down cursing. He couldn't sense anything, it was like his senses were dulled. He couldn't see anything, mostly owing to the fact that it was dark, but the Uchiha had never really had a problem with seeing in the dark. This place was a different kind of dark, it was like you knew there was supposed to be light but there simply wasn't. Like an invisible hand being held over one's eyes. He couldn't hear anything either, not to mention smell and taste. Yes, he can feel the hard surface beneath him. But was it cold or warm? He couldn't make out which. And, most important of all, he couldn't feel any chakra signatures of any kind. It was an empty feeling. Usually, he'd be able to sense something by this time. There was just nothing.

Then again, perhaps there wasn't anything. Sasuke had the suspicion that it wasn't the place that was empty of smell, sight, sound and touch. No. He was almost sure that it was his senses that were being suppressed. Something was definitely wrong.

' _I mean, how could there just be…nothing?'_

No up or down, no cold or heat, no pain, no sound or smell. Something was subduing his chakra. It wasn't flowing at all, it had become stagnant in his system. He needed to force his chakra to move; a kick-start, if you will.

He clumsily weaved a hand sign and said, "Release!"

Nothing whatsoever happened. Except if you count the fact that his chakra was possibly lower than it was before.

' _Well fuck.'_ Was the last conscious thought he had before he knew no more.

The second time Sasuke had woken up, he felt…different. It wasn't a positive feeling, neither was it a negative feeling. To be honest, he was glad to be _feeling_ at all. It was like he was breathing for the first time, yet even his breathing felt different. It was a complex feeling to describe. Sitting up felt easier. His limbs were no longer as heavy or weak. His chakra as still tender, like recovering from a massive trauma. It was also flowing differently, his signature had undoubtedly changed. That was impossible, wasn't it? It was still his chakra, he could feel it flowing inside of him. It was an odd feeling indeed.

The biggest change, however, was his sight. Not wanting to attempt activating the Sharingan quite yet, he strained his eyes in the dark. The more he focused on the darkness, the less darkness there seemed to be. It was instead replaced with a strange bluish, pinkish glow, emanating from the stone cave walls. For, yes, the Uchiha had at least deduced that he was in a vast cavern inside a cave of some sort. His gaze moving up the walls as high as it can go, except there didn't seem to be a roof. It seemed like those walls went on forever.

Not wanting to linger on the vastness of this place, he gingerly got to his feet which, he hated to admit, felt rather shaky. Weakness was not something Uchiha Sasuke tolerated, it was an insult to his very name. Regardless, maybe that Genjutsu release technique did do something. Perhaps it made his chakra move, so it could be replenished. Maybe it jumpstarted his chakra points to receive energy from the outside. Because that was what it felt like. A shinobi can sense their own chakra from inside their body moving outwards. Sasuke, however, was feeling his chakra outside his body, radiating inwards.

He didn't want to linger on those thoughts either, in fact, he didn't want to think of anything that might remind him of how screwed he was. Because he truly was screwed. Instead, he took a deep calming breath and he felt his chakra settle.

Hesitantly, he approached the cavern walls. It wasn't the cave wall that was glowing blue and pink, they were actually luminous crystals of some sort. Countless glittering gems littering the cave walls as far as the eye can see. Even in his current situation, Sasuke cannot ignore the fact that they were mesmerizing to look at. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the blue looked different from the pink. The blue crystals were small about the size of his hand and great in numbers, while there were less of the pink crystals, but were quite a lot bigger, somewhere big as boulders.

"Sharingan!" He was surprised at how different his voice sounded in the cave.

He had to risk using the Sharingan. He had a feeling there were more to these strange crystals than meets the eye. Grateful and a little more than relieved, he felt his Kekkei Genkai activate.

What he saw, made his jaw drop. Openly. Whatever he had expected to see, nothing could have prepared him for this. It was the likes of nothing that he had ever seen before. With the normal eye, all he could see was the beautiful glittering pink crystals and the blue with its tiny cracks inside each little crystal seem to reflect off each other, giving them a lightning type of effect. That was something in its own entirety.

But this.

The powerful ninja he encountered, Sasuke could see their chakra, vibrant and pulsating. But this cave, whatever it was, was something on a whole different level. No living thing could have chakra this bizarre, this potent, this consuming. It was like this cave had a life of its own.

If he had the Byakugan, he was sure he would see the chakra network running through the stone walls beyond its surface. Sasuke was stunned he didn't feel this enormous chakra emitting off the walls before. But he was only beginning to regain his strength, so it wasn't so surprising after all. The only thing that could make sense in his mind was, incredibly, he was not in his world anymore. This place, everything about it, felt alien. The very air he was breathing right now. That odd sensation he felt pulling him off that cliff. A Genjutsu that even his visual prowess couldn't pierce. That was the only logical explanation. And if he had listened to logic, he wouldn't be in this mess right now.

All of a sudden, a particularly big pink crystal he was standing close to, began to glow brighter and a fine glittery dust flew off the crystals as though disturbed by a breeze, directly at Sasuke, who sneezed. Accompanied with a fluttering sensation in his stomach, he broke out in cold sweat and gasped. Sasuke frowned, clutching his stomach and taking a couple of hasty steps backward.

He didn't know what to make of this. His recovering mind could not process what was happening. Pride or not, Sasuke was certain he had not experienced this feeling before. Butterflies? In his stomach! Ah hell no! He was no fourteen-year-old girl! How could a rock have this effect on him! Uchiha Sasuke! That vibrating in his chest was back, the same unnerving sensation which had brought him here in the first place. The pink crystal was humming lightly and it seemed to intensify the feeling to an almost unbearable degree.

Outraged at his own stupidity of getting caught off guard yet again by this stupid sensation, Sasuke could feel it fighting with his consciousness. And winning.

' _It seems, I'm out of my league.'_ Was the last begrudging thought that formed his already fuzzy mind as he passed from consciousness.

* * *

AN: so what's wrong with Sakura? That is a secret until later in the story! *recoils from flying objects* I want it to be a surprise of sorts as the story develops.

Okay, before you yell at me, let me assure you Uchiha Sasuke is not weak. Not in this story or in any universe. He's very powerful and would not fall for any of that, normally. But it will all make sense in due time, I promise!

The first chapter is split into two sections, the first section being the present and the second section is him thinking back to how he got there. Chapter two is Sakura's present and Sasuke's part is still two weeks ago in the past, continuing how he got into this situation. If that doesn't make sense, feel free to pm me!

Plus, I hope the chapters are long enough, IDK if I should make them longer? Let me know what you think!

Your reviews are my inspiration, and I truly appreciate them, although not necessary! And thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited or followed this story!


	3. A Change of Plans

Yay! New chapter finally! Better late than never right? *grins nervously*

I'm at a stage in the story that I absolutely hate! It's the tedious, long-winded "filler" if you will. But it is necessary to the story to get the background in and set the pace. The more I wrote, the longer it seemed to get. I hope this story isn't dragging out too much. There's just so much I still need to add so this fic can have some volume and depth.

Tell me how I'm doing so far.

Thank you for all the kind reviews. It makes me happy knowing you guys like my story so far. I am already working on chapter 4, don't fret!

To KissKiss: Thanks for your feedback, I love reading reviews like yours because it feels like you truly like reading what I write. To clarify though, Sakura was NOT raped. It is, in fact, and illness. But more on that later on! And I'm afraid the trouble is far from over for our dear Sasuke-kun! I like torturing him a little! But it will all work out in the end, I promise! Once again, thanks for your review!

Thanks to all who favorited, followed and read my story!

Much love!

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3: A Change of Plans

The sun had begun to set, blanketing Konoha in an array of autumn colors befitting of the current season. There was a slight chill in the air as if announcing the arrival of winter. September was coming to an end and so were the hot days and warm nights. The beautiful thing about the forest surrounding Konoha, however, was almost all of the trees remained evergreen, which is the reasoning behind the dubbed name 'Village Hidden in the Leaves'. The birds had settled in their nests, ready for well-deserved rest. In doing so, giving the crickets and cicadas willing to brave the chilly air free reign of the night. They could be heard chirping shrilly.

A beautiful young woman of eighteen, Haruno Sakura, sat in her window, leaning her back against the frame, knees up and slender arms wrapped snugly around them, witnessing the end of another day. It was the main reason why she loved her little apartment. It was on the third floor and provided a generous view of the village; the weathered stone faces of all the Hokage, watching over the village standing out proudly, eternally.

An occasional breeze stirred her long pink hair. She didn't mind the cold; it was comforting and making her senses tingle pleasantly. The remnant warmth of the sun's rays caressed her face like a lover's parting touch. Her delicate features seemed carefree as she looked on at the fading sun. Yet, a sudden deep sigh escaped her pink lips, betraying her cool façade. She wasn't nervous about the mission; quite far from it. In fact, every time her thoughts fell on the mission, she felt this intense excitement bubbling up from her core.

And yet...

There was something else; another feeling. Something she couldn't place. It was nagging at her insides, just outside the far reaches of her conscious mind. Just on the tip of her tongue so she couldn't name it. But it was there, weighing heavily on her heart, almost like dread. A deep dread of something that has not yet come to pass. There was no particular reasoning to this sudden invasion of fearful apprehension. Was it her fate lying so heavily on her mind? The unknown vice grip of her impending future wrapping its fingers around her throat, squeezing ever so slightly and draining her life force steadily.

She shook her head slightly to dispel the sense of foreboding. And noticing the sun had almost set completely, she glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand and realized she'd been sitting there for over an hour. It was nearing eight o'clock and Sakura had to hurry if she didn't want to be late for the mission briefing. Bringing her feet down to hang on either side of her window sill, straddling it, she couldn't help but swing her feet to and fro like a school girl would on a swing.

Sakura sat in silence for a moment and then stretched her arms above her head, curving her back like a cat until a series of satisfying cracks were heard from her stiff joints. It had been a rough day at the hospital, she was thankful her schedule cleared early so she could go home and take a nice long soak in her tub and maybe a well-deserved nap. Well, the soak was nice, but as soon as she laid her head down, she was wide awake. Her body was tired but her mind seemed to be unable to relax. Sleep did not come easily to the kunoichi, not for a long time now...

' _Dammit!'_ It was now seven forty-five! Where did the time go? She had to get a move on. She got up on the window sill and jumped to the nearest branch outside her window and gracefully landed on the ground. Grabbed her ninja sandals from the porch and headed to the Hokage tower. The night air was cool as it whipped through her long hair, luminous under the silver moon, as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

Tsunade would not be so lenient if she was late like Kakashi. It was one thing that aggravated the Hokage to no end. But they had solved the Kakashi-being-hours-late-for-everything-problem long ago. They simply told him the meeting would be a different time to what it actually would be. Which was just a few hours before the actual time. Still feigning outrage at his tardiness all the same so he doesn't catch on and ruin their plan.

To everyone's great surprise, it had been quite successful so far. It was ironic that the very man who had taught them to look underneath the underneath would be fooled so easily by such a simple trick.

The Hokage tower was in sight so Sakura landed noiselessly on the ground and slowed her pace.

"Sakura-chan!" She could recognize that voice anywhere she didn't bother turning around and continued walking, knowing he'd catch up.

"Hey, Naruto." She smiled as the knucklehead fell into step with her, his arms resting on the back of his neck.

They walked in silence, which she was thankful for. She was not in the mood for pleasantries or idle chatter. She stole a glance at her teammate and longtime friend. He had changed a lot these past few years. He had gotten even taller. As tall as Kakashi. His body had filled out and his voice deepened and had gotten incredibly strong.

True, he was still a loudmouth sometimes. Still charged ahead recklessly even with odds stacked against him. He was still a fool; a kind of fool only Naruto could be. The only thing that hasn't changed you could see in his eyes. Those eyes carried the will of fire still. They bore the inherent will to create peace and to become Hokage.

His dedication and hard work, his never wavering gutsiness was beginning to affect all those who come in contact with him. He had managed to bring down Kakuzu of the Akatsuki, putting a halt to their plans it seemed. For they had been silent for almost four years, no doubt that the remaining members were biding their time. Who knew? One thing they could be sure of was that they would not stay away forever.

Nevertheless, as a result of that, and Naruto's many successful missions to capture and defeat some of the most dangerous and notorious missing Nin in the bingo book, Konoha was allowed to live in peace. It was truly a good time to be alive. Naruto was seen as a hero and his once far-fetched dream didn't seem so farfetched at all anymore. The villagers started noticing all the good he had done, as opposed to the bonehead tricks and pranks he used to pull. And the Bijuu inside Naruto had been sealed away more securely until such time has come where he would have to learn to control it. The threat of the Kyuubi seemed like a distant memory, nothing more. It got pushed aside to the back of people's minds.

Call it a false sense of security. It might sound naïve, but Sakura was sure that Konoha would deal with it like they always have, if the beast was ever to break loose of its sealing Jutsu. Also keeping in mind that this was Naruto they were talking about and she had the utmost faith in him. Once you got to know him you couldn't help but believe that he could do anything he wanted to. People couldn't help but follow him, trust him.

Speaking of following, however, popularity didn't come without its issues. He had begun to attract another form of attention. It started slowly, small stuff. Autographs, getting phone numbers from random girls to groups who happened to be hanging around where Naruto was training, bringing him water etc. And ultimately to the extreme, being followed day and night, random marriage proposals and cat fights over who got to walk closest to him. Even Naruto, being very slow on the uptake, couldn't help but notice the sudden attention, and Sakura found herself playing bouncer, to her utter despair. As much as she loved beating up fangirls, she was starting to find it tedious. Was she really like this with Sasuke? It was so desperate and pathetic, it made her shiver with disgust.

Luckily, the situation was nipped in the bud before it got too much out of control by none other than Hyuga Hinata, who stepped up and claimed what had always been hers. And they've been inseparable ever since. Shy little Hinata who stuttered when she spoke and blushed several shades of Crimson when Naruto even looked at her, just stepped up to the numbskull, pulled him close and kissed him full on the mouth. And then, of course, passed out right after, which wasn't surprising at all. Sakura was happy for them, especially Hinata who had loved him completely, irrevocably from a young age. Her feelings had never wavered, she was the only one who had rooted for him since the beginning. Similar to the feelings Sakura had for…

' _Sasuke.'_

' _Oh no you DON'T!'_ her inner self hissed, hammering away obnoxiously. ' _We will not give that man the time of day! Don't make me kick your ass!'_

"You okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked tentatively, looking faintly worried.

"Oh." Green eyes widened as she realized she'd been gazing into the distance while her thoughts took over. "It's nothing, Naruto." She said sheepishly.

"You looked constipated for a second there– ouch! What was that for?" He whined, clutching his head which had a bump caused by Sakura's enhanced fist.

"For being an insensitive jerk!" She growled, her eye twitching.

"Hey, Ugly. Hey, Naruto."

This did not help matters at all. Seething and shaking with anger, Sakura aimed a well-endowed punch at Sai's head.

"I am unclear as to what I could possibly have done wrong this time," Sai said dismally, also clutching his head.

"Why call Naruto by his name and I get called by that insufferable nickname you gave me? Huh!" Sakura said menacingly, shaking her fist at Sai.

"Naruto and I share a special bond ever since we got stranded on a mission. We had to cuddle semi-naked for warmth to survive-"

"Shut it, Sai!" It was Naruto's turn to punch him in the head.

"Ow!" Sai exclaimed, now sporting two impressive lumps on his head. "Sakura-chan is a medical ninja, she understands the basics of survival in such situations. It was you who obviously interpreted it in a sexual manner. Are you sexually frustrated? Is Hinata-chan not giving you enough pus-"

THUMP!

THUMP!

Two more lumps added to the collection.

"You wanna die?" Naruto yelled, blushing deeply.

"Sai! You're being lewd! Where did you hear that word?" Sakura growled.

"It was in a book I read; one I got from Kakashi-sensei."

"Figures," Sakura muttered, shaking her head. "Come on guys, we are going to be late for the briefing. At this rate, Kakashi-sensei will beat us to it."

Putting an end to their squabble, they entered the Hokage tower in silence, Naruto still glaring daggers at Sai, grumbling under his breath. His cheeks still had a pink tinge. It made Sakura wonder if Naruto and Hinata had "done it" yet. Although she couldn't see that happening anytime soon, seeing as the girl can't even hold his hand without fainting. Just imagine…

 _'Uh…creeper alert! Are you actually trying to imagine Naruto doing the nasty with Hinata-chan…on purpose?'_ her inner yelled, clearly annoyed. ' _You need to get laid. Seriously.'_

A blush crept up her cheek at the thought. _'Ugh stop with that crap! I have no intention of doing…_ that _…with anyone!'_ Great, even in her own mind she sounded pathetic.

 _'Ha! You're such a virgin calling sex 'that'! And don't even think for a second that I don't know what goes on in that deep part of your mind. You need to stop clinging to that Sasuke fantasy! It ain't gonna happen! You sound pathetic! And we are NOT pathetic!'_

' _Tch, you're just as much as a virgin as I am! I'm not insane, I know it will never happen with Sasuke, but I'm not about to just give it away to any guy who happens to be interested! Besides, we have more important things to worry about right now other than boys and-and…that!'_

If Sakura was expecting a retort from her inner, which she did, she was disappointed. Her alter-ego just remained silent. ' _Wow, that shut her up for once.'_

The sudden sound of Sai knocking on the Hokage's door broke Sakura out of her never-ending feud with her inner self. Which was her straightforward self, her obnoxious self, but, most of all, her warrior self. She was the one who got Sakura through every hardship. Yes, she was annoying and annoyingly honest too, but Sakura would never have been where she was now without her.

"Enter." The Hokage's crisp voice could be heard from the other side of the door.

The door swung open to the Hokage's office, displaying the usual mountain of scrolls and paperwork littering the floor, as well as the giant wooden desk behind which sat a rather harassed looking Tsunade. Shizune, who had opened the door for them, also looked quite distressed, clutching Ton-Ton in her right arm.

The three teens hastily stepped into the office, immediately sensing the Godaime's rotten mood. Sakura hoped Naruto had the good sense to keep his mouth shut today unless he wanted to decorate the pavement outside the office with his blood. Tsunade had not yet thrown him out of the window, but The Hokage was notorious for tossing furniture through the office window when she was in a bad mood. And Sakura had the inkling that he was on thin ice. He didn't know when to keep his big mouth shut! In addition, the ominous chakra radiating from the Hokage was nothing to sneeze at.

A faint gulping noise caught Sakura's ear, it seemed to be coming from Naruto. ' _Good!'_ Sakura thought, ' _He noticed. He certainly wasn't as dimwitted as he used to be. Shanaroo!'_

"Kakashi better show up soon," Naruto muttered to Sakura. "Or Baa-chan will have an aneurysm."

"He'll be here, I'm sure Kakashi-sensei is just at Obito-san's grave," Sakura whispered back.

"Hm," Naruto affirmed, looking thoughtful, his blue eyes misted with sadness.

It was only a few years ago, after Sakura and Naruto had had enough of Kakashi being so late all the time, that they decided to get the bottom of his constant tardiness. They were supposed to leave for a mission with Kakashi and wanted to guarantee his arrival on time, no matter what was keeping him. They decided to camp out close to his house, masking their chakra and making sure Kakashi didn't sense them. It was barely dawn when they saw movement inside his apartment. He opened his window and stretched for a second, before leaping out into a nearby tree and bounding off. They hastened to follow, still maintaining a low profile and keeping their distance.

Whatever they suspected his reason for disregarding the arranged times was, it definitely was not what they discovered. They came to a sudden halt in the trees, shocked at the sight that met their eyes. Their sensei, sitting on his knees between two identical graves, not far from that big obsidian monument erected in the honor of fallen heroes during the third shinobi war. His profile didn't look anything like the laid back, confident Kakashi they knew. It was a sort of dejected posture of a man broken in pieces. And it was only because he thought he was alone, that he let that façade fall. And it was in that moment that Sakura saw the real Hatake Kakashi.

It made her feel uneasy, lingering there. Almost as though she was intruding on a private and intimate moment.

"Let's go, Naruto." She whispered to him. "We shouldn't be here."

"Yeah." He breathed, looking at Kakashi strangely, as though conflicted.

Sakura knew he was having the same dilemma as her, torn between approaching him and comforting him or just letting him be; the latter probably being the wiser choice. They set off shortly after, not feeling in any way relieved by the discovery of the truth. It was later that they found out who those graves belonged to. They were his teammates, Nohara Rin and Uchiha Obito, who he'd lost through battle long ago. Neither of them ever mentioned their discovery to anyone.

"I hope I am not too late." With a puff of smoke, the very same copy Nin Sakura had been thinking of, announced himself suddenly.

"Hardly." The Hokage growled, not lifting her gaze from her paperwork.

Sakura caught Kakashi's lone eye and shook her head slightly, signaling him silently not to test the Godaime today. With a faint eye crinkle, he accepted her warning and there was silence once more.

Other than Ton-Ton's occasional 'oinks' or the movement of the parchment in Tsunade's hands as she scanned what seemed like a very important document, the office was completely silent. The Hokage's brows were furrowed in concentration, thus they knew better than to utter a word at that moment.

Several minutes passed like this; when Tsunade wasn't reading a scroll she was rummaging through a stack of scrolls right next to her on the desk, sometimes retrieving a scroll that had fallen to the ground. She seemed to be looking for something specific. The ones she deemed relevant, she placed on a heap on her desk and other were discarded on the floor.

"Right, now that we are all here," Tsunade stated briskly, gathering her scrolls and placing them to one side. "Finally." She added in a low voice, irritation unmistakable in her voice.

"My apologies, Lady Hokage. There was this cat that got stuck-"

"Save it!" Tsunade hissed, taking a deep breath and seemed to calm herself. "Finally we can begin."

She reached for a scroll on her desk, held it out to Kakashi to take, who promptly unfurled it and scanned its contents, his lone eye running across the parchment.

"Your mission, Team Kakashi, is to escort one of our Suna merchants and see them safely to Land of Wind. There have been thefts reported these past few weeks, allegedly in the Land of Rivers, a very direct trade route Konoha and Suna share. There has been an investigation underway which bore no results. The Kazekage requested our assistance in the matter and suspects that it might be the work of Suna Rogue Nin. Which is an extremely delicate matter at the moment."

"What about the land of Rivers? The merchants need to pass through their borders to Suna." Sai asked.

"The Land of Rivers is unaware of this and have never had a hand in our trade route. It was an agreement our Feudal Lords had whilst negotiating import and export. During the previous investigation, border guards have been questioned but have been cleared. These raids are extremely precise and systematic. The perpetrators are no mere bandits, they have extensive knowledge of each trade schedule. They're proficient in ninjutsu as well." Tsunade said, interlacing her fingers while her elbows rest on the desk. "The land of Wind remain in dire straits which regularly boils over to some sort of uprising or dispute. There are still many who disapprove of Gaara as Kazekage."

"It's because he used to be a Jinchūriki, isn't it!" Naruto growled, clenching his fists.

"Also because Lord Gaara is still very young," Kakashi added. "They believe he lacks the experience. And, yes, they still perceive him to be a threat."

"That's bullshit! He had the Shukaku extracted from him years ago and Gaara died!" Naruto burst out angrily. "He died! Isn't that enough? Hasn't he paid enough? Done enough?"

"We share your frustration, Naruto," Sakura said, squeezing his forearm reassuringly. "Yet they will continue to distrust Gaara out of sheer ignorance and fear. A fear they'd once known to be very real. It cannot just disappear overnight. Also, the people of Suna are very different from our people. It will be much harder to convince them."

"As Kazekage, Gaara is doing a very admirable job proving himself," Tsunade said. "The path he has chosen to walk is that of reconciliation for past transgressions, it will and cannot be ignored. We can already see a change taking place, just like it is with you, Naruto. The people will start seeing Gaara for who he is, a leader. Someone to respect. You, of all people know, that respect is earned, not taken."

If Lady Tsunade knew how to do anything, it was ending a discussion. Be it with her monstrous strength coupled with her short temper or the ability to resolve any doubt with her logic or sharp reasoning. She was a tough one to argue with at any rate. Naruto, however, was even more stubborn than the Hokage. And Sakura had the suspicion that the reason he remained silent was that he agreed with her. Otherwise, this would have gotten bloody; for the only living soul who dared to argue with Tsunade, was Naruto.

"This mission is to be dealt with in utmost secrecy, as we do not know who the spies are. If there are any spies feeding intel to the Nuke-Nin. You are to go under the radar, the merchants you are guarding will not know of your existence." Tsunade stood up and turned abruptly to gaze out of her giant window. "Observe from afar, find out where these attacks are coming from and, with extreme caution, capture the perpetrators alive. They are to be escorted to Suna. It is important that you memorize the rendezvous point, where you will meet with the Kazekage himself."

"In person?" Sai asked. "Isn't that rather risky for a man in his position?"

"Hence the secrecy," Tsunade replied as she resumed her pacing. "Lord Gaara knows the risks of such a venture."

"The Kazekage wants a chance to speak to the perpetrators in person. To find out what the issue is." Kakashi remarked thoughtfully.

"He's willing to listen to them; tend to their needs as individuals. As equals." Sakura said, smiling.

Gaara had really come a long way from that monstrous, bloodthirsty time bomb he had once been. It was clear through Gaara's actions he was doing what he could to live right by Naruto, because of what Naruto had taught him all those years ago during the Chūnin exams. It had been a turning point in both their lives. What may have seemed as a simple act of kindness, had endured and caused a ripple effect, which grew to a vast tidal wave of power, magnified by friendship.

That power was the bond between Gaara and Naruto, current Kazekage, and future Hokage. A power that will one day create bridges between all lands, leaders and clans. Connecting us to the same ideal, the same future of hope, peace and love. This was the power of Naruto's heart, his will of fire.

Catching Naruto's profile out of the corner of her eye, looking proud and smiling made Sakura's heart squeeze.

"It is prudent they are delivered to the Kazekage alive." Tsunade was saying. "I have faith you'll handle this accordingly. This–"

Whatever the Hokage wanted to say was cut off by a sharp, urgent rap on her office door.

"Enter." She said heavily "This better be life threatening." She muttered faintly.

The office door opened and an Anbu Black Ops stepped in, wearing a mask that looked like a cat. In haste, he approached the Godaime, took a bow on one knee and held out two scrolls. One was a flaming red scroll and the other was black. Tsunade took the two scrolls, opened the black scroll, briefly scanning its contents with a slight frown on her face. She placed it on the desk and undid the sealing Jutsu of the red one hastily and read.

Now Sakura, who had been studying under Tsunade for many years, knew all her expressions and moods very well. She had seen it all. From slight annoyance to downright rage. Anything from sadness all the way through to happiness. What Sakura saw in that moment, however, made her heart catch in her throat. Never, in all her years of knowing Lady Tsunade, had Sakura ever seen that expression plague her beautiful face.

In that moment, Sakura knew the sense of foreboding she had felt earlier that night was not a mere figment of her imagination. Somehow she knew that there was something terribly wrong.

The expression Sakura had seen on her Shishou's face, was not something one is accustomed to seeing on such a strong and courageous leader. Before Tsunade's face flickered back to neutral, Sakura caught it; intense fear. Nauseating fear.

The Hokage's knuckles were white from clutching the scroll, the only thing betraying her cool, calculating mask at that moment. Once she had finished reading, she rolled the scroll up and placed it on the pile she had been reading through earlier and addressed the Anbu.

"Has it been contained?" She barked.

"Hai, Hokage-Sama. We have set up a perimeter, the area is secure. We await your orders to proceed with the contingency plan."

"Very well. Find Hyuga Neji and instruct him to assemble a four-man survey and escort team. He must meet me here with his team within the hour." Tsunade said in her usual no-nonsense voice.

"Hai, Hokage-Sama." The Anbu got up, bowed and disappeared.

"Shizune!" Tsunade said briskly.

"Hai, Shishou." Shizune approached her.

"You know what to do." Tsunade handed her a different scroll which was right next to the red one the Anbu had brought.

"Hai!" Shizune replied and disappeared too, leaving the office silent once more.

The Hokage started pacing, biting her bottom lip with her hands clasped together tightly behind her back. It was the usual for Lady Tsunade when she was nervous about something, but Sakura noticed something strange about the Hokage. Every few seconds when Tsunade turned to pace back and forth, she would shoot Sakura with the strangest of glances. She was scrutinizing her closely, her face displaying conflicting emotions. This made Sakura very nervous indeed. She could not think of something she might have possibly done wrong. And, whatever was written in that mission report, was nothing good. Also, what did it have to do with her?

After what felt like an age of painful silence, Tsunade stopped pacing to face them a look of forced determination on her face, which was laced with fear. Although Sakura was sure she was the only one who could see the fear.

"Alright," Tsunade said, after a deep breath. "Change of plans."

* * *

***Back to Sasuke in the past***

As an Uchiha, things were always relatively easy to achieve. When he needed something, he got it. When he wanted to learn a Jutsu, easy. Attention, no matter how unwanted, he always had it. For an Uchiha who had nothing, he always seemed to have everything. Good looks, an uncanny ability to always succeed at whatever he attempted, a clear mind and strong will. Never, in all his young life, had the Uchiha struggled like this. Failed like this. And, to add insult to his already bruised ego, his failure had resulted in not being able to break through a stupid piece of rock!

"Gah!" Sweaty brow, heavy breathing, Sharingan ablaze, Uchiha Sasuke sat crouched down, his one hand keeping him steady between his feet on the ground.

Several scorch marks decorated the crystal encrusted cave walls, evidence of his failed attempts at escape. To say that he was annoyed, was the understatement of the century. No, he was annoyed when he woke up from being caught off guard the first time, being undermined by a _stupid_ fucking piece of _pink_ rock. No, he was way past that, he was seeing red. What the hell had he been training for all these years? To be enfeebled by mineral composite? By now, he had tried any and all kinds of Jutsu at his disposal, nothing seemed to have even the slightest effect on this mysterious cave.

How long he had been trapped there, he did not know. It could have been hours, days or weeks. The fact was, everything seemed to function differently in this place. The entire time/space theory could be thrown out the window. His body felt heavier, it felt like he had been bedridden for a year. And had only now been allowed the use of his muscular functions. Yet that was not the case. Nothing was wrong with his dexterity or his muscle memory. So the only reasonable explanation would be that the gravity is much heavier than what he was used to.

Therefore, it was only logical that the stone walls of the cave seemed indestructible. He could not measure anything by his regular standards in this place. Not even time could be measured by his perception.

He needed a different strategy. He needed to calm down and reorganize his thoughts, center his chakra. Sitting down, legs crossed and eyes closed, Sasuke took a deep breath and tried reconnecting his chakra. After a few minutes, he could feel the chakra pattern stabilizing and he focused it on moving outward, feeling its surroundings, stretching further. He felt the cave, which unimaginable power contained within the crystals, tantalizing, yet frightening at the same time. He tried pushing past it, beyond these so-called indestructible walls. Trying to get a sense of what is outside this strange place. He was disappointed, yet, not surprised to find nothing.

It was exactly what he had been suspecting. He didn't sense anything beyond those walls because there was nothing. Either that or this place has one hell of a defensive chakra field around it. Preventing anyone from getting in and, in his case, out as they please.

It did not help going to pieces though, he knew that. He needed his sharp mind if he ever wanted to get out of here. So far, all he had been doing was fighting it. Fighting the cave, fighting the realization that he had been duped. It had been a hard knock on his ego, he wasn't going to deny that. No, anger and denial were not going to help him here.

Feeling a little lighter than he felt since he got here, the Uchiha got up and looked around the mammoth of a cavern. Sharingan activated, he looked for anything that might help him in escaping.

Chakra.

Wherever he looked, it was like he was struck with an unending wall of vivacious chakra. It did not feel threatening or hostile, just powerful. It was like looking at a tidal wave from a much too close proximity to be comfortable with. He had probably gone about it the wrong way, he thought as his sharp eyes scanned the blue and pink crystals, twinkling almost pleasantly at him. The funny thing was, not once, in all the time being trapped here, had he felt the slightest inkling of fear.

Panic, sure. Uncertainty, frustration, anger, disappointment.

But never fear.

Whatever that strange sensation was that lead him here in the first place, despite being pushed off a cliff, he was sure that he wasn't in any immediate danger.

' _Well, maybe in danger of starving or insomnia.'_ He thought bitterly.

He always carried his pack with scrolls containing rations and gear though. There was no telling, however, how long that was going to last. He would have to worry about that when the time came. He had yet to explore this colossal place completely.

Another thing he noticed about being here was, despite having spent a monstrous amount of chakra on his attempted escape, he felt fine. His chakra levels still at an optimum level, like it had never been disturbed. Yes, he was winded because of the messed up gravity, everything felt heavier. But he wasn't even tired.

He should have been tired by now.

He'd been here for a couple of days at least? He had to be. There was no telltale sign of time having passed here. Everything seemed to perpetuate, like an unending loop. This couldn't be a Genjutsu. He would have noticed it immediately, there wasn't a Genjutsu that could trap him without his knowledge. Not anymore…not after Itachi.

Like an old habit, he waited for the dull aching pain and red hot hate to surface at the thought of his older brother.

But it didn't come.

It felt strange, sort of empty and yet it felt liberating at the same time. He had been plagued by grief and loss for his family and consumed by his hatred for his brother. And now it was like there was nothing, like a dull ache of a phantom wound. Sasuke was willing to bet anything it was the result of being in this cave for so long. It was doing things to him, things he could not begin to explain or analyze. This also led him to another suspicion; he was definitely not brought here by accident.

Still unclear as to why he was dumped here, the Uchiha stood up. Immediately he felt dizzy. Maybe he had gotten up too fast, he wasn't sure. His vision went blurry like he was losing consciousness.

' _No, not again!'_ he thought desperately as his heart started racing. He shook his head jerkily, hoping to dispel the feeling overcoming him.

The Prodigy sat down on his haunches, his hand over his face as his other held him steady against the cave wall. His heart was beating at a fast pace as though he had been running, he was shaking and sweat dropped. His vision, still fuzzy, seemed to refocus slightly. The humming sound had come back, vibrating throughout his entire body. Closing his eyes tightly, Sasuke desperately fought this intense feeling that was enveloping his senses. As soon as his eyelids shut, he was overcome by the strangest thing.

Pink. Instead of seeing black behind his closed eyes. He saw radiating pink light, enveloping his vision.

" _Sasu-ke-kun…"_

What the hell was that? He knew that voice, but couldn't recall who it belonged to. His heart squeezed tightly, painfully for some reason. The arm supporting him against the cave started to feel numb, he opened his eyes and noticed he had unwittingly placed his hand on one of the pink crystals, which had adopted a luminous glow. It was as though it had reacted to his touch. It was the crystal that had been inducing these feelings inside him. He was sure of it now.

He hastened to get away from it but it was too late. It was as though someone had pressed play on a movie in his mind and all he could see was _her._

"Sakura." His voice was raspy like it was deprived of moisture.

Something strange was happening with his stomach, like those butterflies earlier but more intense. All of his senses were overtaken by this strange phenomenon. His actions and thoughts were no longer his own. What had been fuzzy was now crystal clear. His stomach made a pleasant jolt, sufficiently numbing his extremities. There was a tingling sensation all over his body. He was completely at the mercy of these intense projections. He felt something soft caress his chest, like small, delicate hands. Something that felt like moist lips traveling down his jaw leaving scorching kisses down his neck and back up again. His hands were gripping something soft which felt like mounds of flesh so supple and tender. She smelled like strawberries and vanilla.

Suddenly, he felt her hard nipples being pressed against his hard chest as his arms went around her and he pressed her flush against his now naked body.

How he had become unclothed, he did not know. He could not make sense of this no matter how he tried. Everything was so overpowering, electrifying. Sasuke felt his length harden against her and crushed her small body to his almost desperately. She gasped his name once more as her warm body responded to his ministrations and any resistance he had left had vanished. Any rational thought had vanished. The only thing left was this intense, raw desire. He wanted to feel her completely, every inch. He wanted her beautiful mouth to moan his name again; he thirsted for it. Everything about her was so intoxicating and riveting.

She felt so good against him, so comfortable. His hands traveled up her back, loving the feel of her soft skin. She looked up at him, her emerald eyes dilated, dark with intense desire. Her hands moved to caress his face, thus capturing his lips in a searing kiss.

The humming sound had become louder, creating a slight vibration in his chest. He was sure he was going to die from the intensity of it all. Surely, he was about to explode from all the repressed urges he had been keeping locked up all these years. Everything was becoming brighter, like a pure white light which had been on dim, was turned up. Their tongues exploring each other, sending intense waves of pleasure through Sasuke's body. It was becoming brighter, almost as though it was trying to match the intensity of the humming.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open, Sharingan activated with his heart hammering at the pace of a steam engine. He was facing the non-existent sealing again. Had he passed out again? What happened? The last thing he remembered was sitting there silently, trying to stabilize his chakra and thinking about his family and then this weird flash of pink light. The next thing he knew he was on his back again. This recurring event was really annoying him to no end. He touched the pink stone and he heard a voice. Though it was unclear who that voice belonged to. He could not remember anything else.

Maybe he was finally going insane, his mind starting to crack. Sasuke slowly got up, trying to calm his heart, still beating as though he had been running. He needed a plan of action and sitting here was not going to help him in any way.

Making especially sure not to walk near the crystals, in fear of touching them, he set off into the closest passageway. Trying to find some sort of…well…something. He just wanted to get out of this place.

***Present time***

All this had been a while ago. A week, a month. He could not tell. After being dumped in this place, Sasuke spent most of his time exploring and training his body to become accustomed to this new world. He was running low on rations although his body did not seem to need sustenance as much as it would in the real world. It was difficult to keep track with everything being so out of proportion.

He reached the grotto and disrobed, still irritated by his body betraying him like this. He approached the waterfall, knowing the water was cold and stepped in under it. The shock of the cold water was sure to do the trick, getting rid of his atrocious hard-on.

' _Tch! If I ever get out of here, I hope I never see that woman again in my life!'_ he thought savagely, trying very hard not to let the instant blush crawl up his cheeks at the thought of his former pink-haired teammate.

At that moment, Haruno Sakura, standing in the Hokage's office watching her Shishou pace, gave one great big sneeze.


	4. Entwined Destiny

Minna! I'm thinking of making the chapters shorter due to the fact that I'm simply taking too long to publish. I'll try to update more regularly and move the story along. I hope this isn't too long-winded. I kinda had a writer's block so I tend to drag with what I have.

Here is chapter 4, I hope it all still makes sense. With a story such as this, I tend to change the story a bit due to my fleeting changes in mood of how it will end.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Guest (posted 10 Jan 2016): Sorry for the long wait! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4: Entwined Destiny

"What the hell is going on, Baa-chan?" Naruto yelled, clearly unable to hold himself in any longer.

"Shut it!" Sakura growled, aiming a hefty punch at his head, hoping it is punishment enough for the Hokage, as she seemed in the right type of mood to send him flying through the window.

If Sakura had been expecting an outburst from Tsunade, she was disappointed. The Hokage merely ignored Naruto and continued pacing with furrowed brows, biting her lip. She looked very preoccupied indeed.

"Sakura-chan, you really need to stop hitting me like this!" Naruto whined, clutching his head.

"I will when you stop doing and saying bonehead things!" Sakura intoned, still looking at Tsunade curiously.

After regarding her Shishou for a few more seconds, Sakura made her decision. Straightening her back in resolve, Sakura stepped towards the Hokage's desk from where she had been standing in line with her teammates. Once she reached the desk, she turned to her left, took one step forward. Gingerly tapping the wooden floor with her foot, a look of concentration on her face. Shaking her head, the Kunoichi took one more step forward and repeated her actions, shaking her head again. She continued in doing so until she reached the one shelf lined with books and scrolls against the wall, she tapped the spot in front of the bookcase and froze.

"Uh, Sakura-chan…" Naruto said, squinting at her questioningly. "What are you doing?"

Ignoring him as well as the curious looks from the others, Sakura crouched down on her haunches placing her hands on the floor. _'I'm sure it's here.'_ She thought to herself. Without hesitation, she focused a small amount of chakra in her right fist and brought it down onto the wooden floor, breaking clean through it with one punch.

"Sakura!" Tsunade shouted. "What is the meaning of–" but the Hokage's reprimand was cut off as soon as Sakura's hand reappeared from the whole she had just made, clutching a dusty bottle of sake. "How? Why, that little–" she growled as realization hit.

"Hm, it seems Shizune's hiding spot was rather convenient. Hokage-sama would never think to check her own floorboards." Kakashi mused his uncovered eye crinkling. "Good eye, Sakura."

"I'm going to strangle her!" Tsunade growled, taking a peek beneath the now loose floorboards. "This is my gift from the Feudal Lord. She hid it, telling me I had drank it all!"

"It seemed like you needed a drink, Shishou." Sakura said simply. "She knew to keep it a secret from me too, it seems. But I had my suspicions."

"This is why you're my favorite student, Sakura." Tsunade beamed, already rummaging in her drawers for a glass.

In no time at all, Tsunade was seated behind her desk throwing back a shot, humming appreciatively. Immediately, she poured herself another one and that, too, disappeared in a flash. The look of content on her face was worth it, Sakura thought, smiling.

"Hmm, that hit the spot." She hummed, after the fourth one had gone down. "Thank you, I needed that. And to answer your question, Naruto." Tsunade added heavily, turning her attention on him. "I will inform you of what has been going on as soon as Neji has arrived. I will have Neji's team taking the Suna escort mission–"

"No fair, Baa-chan!" Naruto yelled, outraged. "You can't take a mission away from us like that! That's–"

THUNK!

"Be quiet! Or I'll knock you into next week!" Sakura growled.

"Ow ow ow!" Naruto howled, clutching his head.

"Ugly," Sai muttered, "you need to be careful of hemorrhaging; we don't want him any more stupid. Konoha will surely suffer with a stupid Hokage."

"Do you also want another?" Sakura hissed, shaking her fist at him.

"Oh no thanks, I was just saying." Sai said quickly, his fake smile crossed his pale face, his hands up in the air in defensive mode in case she tried catching him off guard.

"Hey! What do you mean by _more_ stupid?" Naruto shot at Sai, glaring.

"Enough!" Tsunade shouted, bringing her fist down on the desk. It shuddered beneath the force of it, as though it was trembling. "As I was saying, Neji's team will be given the escort mission because I have a different mission for you. And will be explained once I have briefed Neji's team. It's top secret."

To see Naruto's face change was something. It was like watching a child taste candy for the first time in their life. Sakura was pretty sure that was the reason Tsunade threw the words "top secret" into the mix, regardless of it being top secret or not. Although, judging from Tsunade's reaction to that scroll the ANBU brought to her, it was definitely a high security, top secret mission. Sakura felt excitement bubbling up inside her at the thought, also laced with some fear and apprehension. Whatever the mission was, it had Tsunade worried something awful.

At this point, Kakashi had already taken out his repulsive Icha Icha Novel and was reading as though no one else was present, seemingly unaware of the recurring argument that had broken out. _"Ah to be able to shut oneself out like Kakashi-sensei does."_ Sakura found herself thinking enviously. _"Nothing ever phases that man."_

" _ **Hmm, maybe you should start reading hentai."**_ Inner Sakura remarked smugly. _**"I'm sure he will lend you a copy, he probably has more than one…you know."**_ Inner added, winking. _**"In case he ruins one."**_

" _Ugh, can you be any more vulgar!"_ Sakura complained. _"Go away!"_

" _ **I was just saying what you were thinking; I am you, after all."**_ Inner retorted. _**"As they say, 'be careful what you wish for, you just might get it'."**_ Inner Sakura gave a haughty giggle, which had Sakura mentally grumbling.

"What's the mission? Where are we going?" Naruto said excitedly. "Is it dangerous? Is it an S-ranked mission? Tell _me_ , Baa-Chan!"

"Be quiet, Naruto!" Tsunade thundered. "Unless you want to go flying through my window!"

" _ **There it is!"**_ Inner Sakura chimed in excitedly! _**"Do it Tsunade-Sama! Shanaroo!"**_

At that, Naruto went back to looking like a little brat, stubbornly pouting with his arms crossed over his chest.

" _Yep, only Hinata-chan had the patience to deal with this."_ Sakura thought exasperatedly.

A second later, and not a moment too soon, in Sakura's opinion, there was a knock at the door.

"Enter." Tsunade said.

The door opened and Hyuga Neji stepped through, followed by Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino and Yamanaka Ino. All of whom had a look of curiosity on their faces.

"Good. Team Kakashi, please wait outside for a few minutes until I call you back. After I have updated Neji's team on their mission, I have some preparing to do before I brief you." Tsunade said, waving them out.

"But-but–" Naruto spluttered, nonplussed. He was clearly disappointed to be kept waiting even longer to find out what his super-top-secret mission was going to be.

"Come on!" Sakura said, firmly grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and dragging him out of the office, while the remaining team members trailed after them, logically keeping a safe distance nonetheless.

"She will never find a man." Sai muttered to Kakashi. "They're all too scared of her."

"Hmm," The Copy-nin replied, eyeing his pink-haired teammate. "It's merely a front to hide any vulnerability she feels."

"Well that 'front' hurts!" Sai said, lightly touching the bumps on his head, wincing slightly.

Half an hour later, they entered the Hokage's office once more. Tsunade was pacing again. Sakura noticed the bottle of sake was lying on its side, alongside a new one, which had already been opened.

" _Oh boy."_ Sakura thought dejected, starting to regret her decision. _"And Shishou wonders why Shizune hides her stash."_

"Alright." Tsunade sighed, as Kakashi closed the door behind them and lined up in front of her desk, as before. "I suppose the best way to explain this is to start from the beginning." She turned around, facing them.

"Finally!" Naruto muttered, arms crossed.

Sakura glared at him, but noticed he'd made sure to stand a measurable distance from her. In fact, Sai was doing the exact same. The only one brave enough to stand next to her was Kakashi-sensei, who seemed, as always, utterly relaxed and seemingly oblivious of everything around him.

Sakura couldn't help but smirk. _"Typical."_ she mused.

Tsunade ignored Naruto again. Sighing, she seated herself behind her desk, her fingers interlaced. "About a month ago, a shinobi went missing during a routine survey of our border and it was reported to me at once." Tsunade began. "Naturally, this was cause for concern and a search team was dispatched to investigate immediately.

The Godaime spoke slowly, frowning, as if choosing her words carefully.

"I am not…a superstitious person." Tsunade added. "When that scout disappeared, however, I just got this feeling of unease that I couldn't explain. My gut insisted that there was more to this than what meets the eye. My suspicions were confirmed when the search team did not return either."

The entire room was still with a shocked silence at Tsunade's words. If this was a month ago, then why wasn't anyone aware of it? So many possibilities littered Sakura's mind at that moment, it was making her head hurt. But she knew to remain silent and let the Hokage finish with her story before they questioned anything. By the silence from her comrades, they too had the same notion. Kakashi no longer looked disinterested, a faint frown could be seen on his masked face. Sai wasn't wearing that empty smile he had adopted. Even Naruto looked serious.

"I took this matter to the tactics and strategy division so we could try to figure out what could have happened and formulate some plan of action, before we proceeded." The Godaime continued. "As it seemed too risky to send anyone else out to search."

"Hm, Shukaku-san would undoubtedly have thought of something. Even with limited information." Kakashi said.

"Indeed." Tsunade agreed. "A day later, however the scout reappeared by the northern gate, seemingly unharmed."

"So it was a false alarm then?" Naruto inquired.

"If only that was the case." Tsunade replied bitterly. "But we still had a search team missing. And I said 'seemingly' unharmed. Physically, he looked fine. When he approached Kotetsu and Izumo at the entrance, he fell to his knees, claiming he had no memory of the past day. They apprehended him."

"But, he is a shinobi of Konoha! Why arrest him?" Naruto inquired incredulously.

"He could be victim of some sort of trap set by an enemy wanting to invade the village." Kakashi said. "They could not take that risk."

"Thankfully, Kotetsu was quick to react" Tsunade continued, "and placed him in a coma-like sealing barrier."

"Coma-like sealing barrier?" Sakura repeated.

"There is a very specific reason why I placed Kotetsu at the gate. It is not because he is in any way inadequate. Quite the opposite, in fact. Kotetsu's clan has a hidden Kekkei Genkai, which is very rare. And only some members of his clan have the ability to release it. He recently came to obtain that ability after years of training." Tsunade said. "The jutsu is basically a way to ensure the safety of anyone threatened. In this case, the village. This jutsu nullifies all ninjutsu, robbing the target of all senses; thus cocooning the enemy, or victim in our case, within a special type of barrier.

"Which is the perfect way to ensure the safety of Konoha from being infiltrated by spies. He could easily have been controlled by Genjutsu, or had his body littered with explosive tags. A reverse summoning jutsu could have been planted on him, only to activate when he was safely behind our gates for the enemy to release, endangering us all. The possibilities are endless. With this jutsu, all of those threats were neutralized."

"Dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed. "Where was this jutsu years ago?"

"Indeed." Kakashi mused.

"Indeed." The Hokage repeated, looking serious with her chin resting on her interlaced hands. "Needless to say, once he was detained by Kotetsu, he was escorted to interrogation to be questioned. We have been keeping this top secret in order to avoid any unnecessary panic until we had all this figured out."

Tsunade sat back in her chair and regarded them all with a fierce stare. Sakura knew she was not imagining it this time, Tsunade definitely held her gaze a second or two longer than any of her teammates. It was as though she was trying to tell her something with her eyes. But Sakura had no idea what was even going on.

For a split second, Sakura even saw what seemed like a subtle apology flash across Tsunade's face before her eyes moved back to a scroll in front of her. Sakura wasn't sure how she knew this; it was just a feeling.

"Inoichi and the other interrogators found it very difficult to extract any information from the scout's lost memory." The Hokage continued in a low voice. "Inoichi had never seen memory loss quite to this extent. He explained regular memory loss like a broken mirror, his technique being able to piece the broken shards back together, slowly revealing the picture, piece by piece. The scout's memory, however, was completely fragmented. It was something they had never seen before. Thousands upon thousands of broken glass shards were almost shattered into dust; impossible to piece back together.

"No jutsu has the power to fracture someone's memory like this, not without killing that person." Tsunade sighed tiredly. "Well, none that we're aware of. Which is a worrying thought."

"So, his memory cannot be retrieved?" Sakura said, breathlessly.

"When I said it was impossible to piece back together, I actually meant impossible for most shinobi. Yamanaka Inoichi is no ordinary shinobi, as you all know. Despite the following week's events, he managed to extract some of the scout's memories." The Hokage replied, her eyes fixed on the red scroll in front of her.

"And the search team?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes." Tsunade replied, rubbing her temples. And as she spoke, she poured herself yet another glass of sake. "It seemed, a day after the scout was found, the search team also reappeared the same way, in the same condition. Interrogation has been working around the clock to extract any clues from the victims."

The Hokage drained her glass and smacked it down on the desk rather hard and sighed. "Naturally, they were also detained immediately and escorted to the interrogation facility. The black scroll that was delivered earlier is the report containing the fragments of the scout's memories. They've only just now managed to extract substantial evidence from the scout in particular. And thanks to Inoichi we were at least able to determine that it was not the work of spies. So it was safe to assume they did not harness anything that could endanger Konoha." It was supposed to be a good thing Sakura thought. But nothing about the Hokage's face implied that.

"What did Inoichi see in the scout's memories, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked, a look of rapt attention on his face.

Tsunade sighed once more, pouring yet another drink, almost nervously eyeing the black scroll the ANBU Agent had brought. "Before I answer you, Kakashi." She told the Copy Nin, reaching in her drawer and, to everyone's utter surprise, pulled out another glass and poured some sake into it. "Here." She added, holding out the glass to Sakura. "Have a drink Sakura."

"Shishou–" Sakura started, shocked.

"Take it!" Tsunade said in a no-nonsense voice.

Stunned, Sakura took the glass and emptied it in one go. The alcohol burned its way down her throat and to her stomach leaving a pleasant tinge in its wake. Having Tsunade as a teacher, Sakura was no stranger to alcohol. Tsunade was always a firm believer that a good Kunoichi should be able to handle her drink. Especially for seduction, undercover or intel-retrieval missions. It's the art of being able to blend in without getting drunk, keeping a cool head throughout the mission and not being caught off guard.

Oh, the 'extensive training' Sakura had to go through to get accustomed to alcohol. It was truly an indication that Tsunade was a sadistic one.

Once finished with the sake, Sakura handed Tsunade the glass, not at all surprised to be handed another full glass. She took that without a fuss. She was really starting to get nervous. What was so bad about this that Sakura needed a drink? And why was she the only one being offered a drink? Did her Shishou not think she could handle this?

" _What the hell is going on?"_ Sakura screamed in her head.

"Alright, Sakura" Tsunade said. "I have a favor to ask of you before I show you four the mission report from Inoichi."

Sakura un-stuck her throat to swallow and replied in what she hoped was a firm, calm voice. "I am willing to help where I can, Shishou."

"Do you remember, about a month ago, you fell asleep during a routine physical check-up?" Tsunade said, sitting back in her chair, arms crossed. "I had to nudge you awake and I went off at you for not sleeping enough."

"Hai, Shishou. I remember." A faint blush was creeping up Sakura's neck but she kept eye contact with Tsunade.

"Then you told me about the dream you had. Now I'm asking you to relay that dream for us, please Sakura."

If Sakura had been blushing before, it was nothing compared to how her face flushed at that very moment. "Uh-I-uh." She spluttered.

"It's alright, girl." Tsunade said impatiently. "I would not have asked you if it hadn't been very important."

"Alright…" Sakura said after a deep breath. "I didn't realized that I fell asleep in the examination room. I thought I was still awake. I was still laying on the examining bed and Tsunade-sama had her back to me. Suddenly I felt this strange, warm presence. It's hard to explain exactly what it felt like, but it was inside my chest, sending off steady vibrations. Almost like a universal pull at my solar plexus." Sakura began. Her eyes closed and her hand had subconsciously travelled to her stomach as if she could feel the presence at that moment.

"The next thing I knew, I was being pulled up out of bed. It was so powerful, I couldn't even fight it. It was such a calming feeling, I didn't want to fight it. My mind was fuzzy so I just got up. Shishou didn't even turn around to yell at me when I got up, which was strange. And I walked right out of the door. I couldn't stop; I couldn't control it. Quite frankly, at that moment, I didn't want to.

"I was in the forest before I realized where I was. How I got past the gate, I did not know. How I had gotten from the clinic to the outreaches of the forest in the blink of an eye, I had no idea. Up ahead there was an old abandoned outhouse, and the vibration was leading me towards it. I could hear a faint humming in the distance. It was coming from inside me as well. In the back of my mind I knew I should stop because it was close to the border and I was in a night-gown. But I just couldn't be bothered. It was the most peaceful I've ever felt and I didn't want it to go away." Sakura sighed as though the memory was hanging over her still, her hand placed on her abdomen.

"Before I reached the outhouse, I saw a man walking steadily towards it. I noticed he was a Chūnin of Konoha, so I called out to him. He didn't seem to hear me. He was also walking towards the abandoned building as I was. In the distance, close to the outhouse, I saw something floating in mid-air, it was where the humming was coming from. It was this beautiful sphere of pink light, a substance I had never come across in all my studies. It was neither liquid, nor solid nor was it gas. It was too strange to be chakra. However, at that moment it was the closest thing I could compare it to.

"The man was closer to it than me, so he got to it first. I saw him approach it and try to touch the sphere. He was shot into the air and landed on the ground about twenty meters away from that entity, out cold or dead.

"I ran towards the man, ready to help him up and take him back to the clinic, but something caught my eye." Sakura swallowed unconsciously, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. "I saw Sasuke standing there, near the pink ball of light." She almost whispered, as though it was too emotional to relay. "Uh…next thing I knew, he vanished in a blinding flash and I was being shaken awake by Tsunade-sama." Sakura concluded, opening her eyes, staring at the silent room, the blush still evident on her cheeks.

"Thank you, Sakura." The Hokage said.

"Hai." Sakura replied, mentally sighing in relief.

' _ **You're lucky they didn't pick up that you were blushing so much.'**_ Her inner whispered waspishly. _**'If they knew the entire dream, what will they think of their innocent little Sakura-chan?'**_

' _Give it a rest! There's no way in hell I will ever relay the entire dream to anyone!'_ Sakura shot back, the blush creeping up again.

' _ **Oh, please do!'**_ _inner gushed, batting her proverbial eyelashes._ _ **'I would love a good show!'**_

Sakura's blush grew, if possible, even darker at the thought. How could she possibly even begin to relay such a dream? When even the very thought of it made her blush and prompted a warmth pooling in her stomach.

Why she had been having dreams of her and Sasuke. Fleeting images of Sasuke doing the most unspeakable things to her body, making her writhe with pleasure. It was too much to bare because they were coming more frequently and in more detail. Painting lascivious pictures in her mind she was sure she could never wash out.

" _ **Not that you want them washed out."**_ Came the snide remark from her inner. _**"Secretly, you like it."**_

" _Shut it!"_ Sakura screamed silently.

" _ **The quicker you realize this, the happier you'll be. Stop lying to yourself."**_ Her inner-self intoned haughtily.

" _Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it."_ Sakura chanted silently, all too aware of her teammates and Shishou still looking at her and the blush on her pale cheeks felt like a flashing red light.

 _When she saw Sasuke standing there, the bottom of her stomach dropped and her knees almost buckled. Not because of the fact that she was seeing the person she had loved for most of her young life, or that he had been on her mind every day since he departed. No, none of those childish, cheesy reasons. What made her heart race against her chest and her knees feel like jelly was the look on the Uchiha's face._

 _The way he looked at her._

 _There was an almost hungry, longing expression gracing his strong features. When their eyes met, she could see his breath catch, as though the very sight of her made him stop. He looked frightfully vulnerable as though she had stripped him of all his defenses with one look._

 _It was the expression she had always wanted, dreamed, fantasized he would have on his face when looking at her. It was all too much to take in. The cold, stoic, emotionless Uchiha Sasuke…looking at her as though she had cast a spell on him. His eyes bore an intense longing. She couldn't explain it, she didn't want to._

 _Before she realized it, her legs started moving and she was walking towards him. She still had no control over her actions. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly and, to her utter astonishment, he mirrored her movements, approaching her. He almost looked nervous, curious as he slowly walked towards her, his hungry eyes not breaking contact with hers._

 _The next moment she was in his embrace. Every inch of her skin which came in contact with his felt electrifying. He was so warm. Heat crept up from her neck and warmed her cheeks at the proximity of the Uchiha. He was taller and his muscles had filled out, well defined through years of training. She could feel his tense muscles through her very thin nightgown. The faint blush which was making its way up her cheeks darkened. Although his face had matured his dark eyes were alight with wonder, and it made him look so young._

 _His breathing was deep, almost labored. He was so close. His body pressing against Sakura's front, his strong arms holding her tightly._

" _Sakura" he whispered._

 _His right hand, which was resting on her lower back, gently caressed its way up her back to her neck, finally resting on the back of her head, fingers tangled in her pink locks. The other hand gripping her hip found its way on her back in order to hold her even closer as he pressed her against him even more tightly. Her skin was tingling pleasantly where the warmth of his hands had touched._

 _He was so so close now, she could feel his heart beating._

 _She could his face in much detail, Sasuke's already aristocratic nose and distinct jaw which gave him such a strong, defined face had only matured throughout the years of development into adulthood. He was magnificent_

 _He pressed his forehead to hers his fingers tangling in her hair. Sakura stood frozen, completely overcome by his closeness and bold affection. She couldn't move even if she wanted to. His scent was making her slightly dizzy, it smelled so much like Sasuke, yet unfamiliar. Her heart was beating madly in her chest and her skin was on fire from his touch._

 _When he pressed his lips against hers, a jolt shot through her. It wasn't a chaste kiss either. His lips were soft as he kissed her deeply, desperately. She could feel his tongue running over her bottom lip as though coaxing her lips to part for access._

 _She obeyed, letting out a soft sigh as her arms went around his waist, gripping his shirt tightly with shaking fingers not daring to let go in case he disappeared. His energy was intoxicating. She was drowning in it as though she was drifting away from shore without an anchor._

 _His warm tongue was exploring her mouth freely and Sakura felt her body heat up. He pressed into her body even more as his strong arms held her tight, and if it wasn't for that, she would be floating away or falling to her knees. She wasn't sure which._

 _His kisses and touches grew bolder, more earnest. The full moon was illuminating everything around them and Sakura vaguely wondered how it could possibly be night-time. It had just been in the middle of the day a few moments ago._

 _Sasuke broke the kiss to look at her, his dark eyes were dilated. There was something stirring in them that Sakura couldn't place. She was having trouble producing any sound thought._

 _Before she could do anything, the Uchiha's hands made their way down her back, gripped her bottom picking her up. She let out a small 'eep' of surprise but her arms and legs wrapped around him, clinging to him. Immediately, Sasuke's lips latched onto her neck, sucking gently. This new sensation made Sakura's toes curl and she let out a soft moan. Every single sensation was overpowering her, she felt lightheaded, dizzy. Being pressed against this man so intimately, feeling his muscles with so little cloth separating them, it was driving her crazy._

" _Sas-ke" she breathed._

" _Hmm" he hummed against her throat, not bothering to speak as it will require him to stop what he was doing._

 _Sasuke just hoisted her up more and started walking, his tongue making little wet circles on the delicate skin of her neck while his fingers were squeezing her toned ass._

 _Sakura whimpered, wrapping her long legs around his torso more tightly. Sasuke's body tensed as she did that and a throaty groan escaped his lips. Sakura knew why; she could feel his urgent arousal pressing against her inner thigh. The friction between them was driving Sakura crazy with an unfamiliar need. It was something she had never felt before–_

Kakashi's voice broke through her inner fantasy and it was with the greatest relief that she realized they hadn't the faintest inkling of what was going on in her head.

"Sakura's dream was similar to the scout's memories that were recovered?" He said, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"Not similar," Tsunade said, "identical. Right to the last detail. What I think," she added, tapping her bottom lip with her index finger, "and this is just conjecture, but it may be tied to Sakura's condition."

"It certainly is suspicious, but-" Kakashi began.

"There's more" Tsunade interjected, looking at Sakura.

There it was again, that apologetic look. It looked so foreign on the Godaime's face, which is probably why Sakura caught it so quick. This was why she was given two shots of sake, the very reason why the Hokage has been giving Sakura that look.

Not knowing what it could possibly be, Sakura mentally braced herself.

"Sakura, when would you say your symptoms started?"

"Uh-" Sakura stuttered, taken aback by the sudden question. It was the last thing she had been expecting but she answered immediately. "Around two months ago, Shishou."

"I see." Tsunade whispered. "It cannot be a coincidence...Uchiha Sasuke was sighted in the forest around two months ago-"

"WHAT?!" Sakura and Naruto exclaimed in unison.

"Baa-chan! Why didn't you say anything? Two months? He's probably long gone! How could you not tell us…"

As Naruto kept rambling on and on Sakura's heart skipped a beat at the Hokage's words. Sasuke? Here? So close to the village. Why? And many possibilities and theories cascaded through her mind at once, giving her a head rush.

"SILENCE!" Tsunade thundered, her fists colliding with the desk again. "LET ME FINISH!"

Naruto pouted but at least it put an end to his loud rambling.

"And you wonder why I didn't tell you." Tsunade growled. "It's because he vanished the moment he was sighted. Without a trace." she paused for a moment, looking at Sakura before adding. "In a flash of pink light."

What did this mean? How was she tied to all of this?

"I know what you're thinking, Sakura." Tsunade said, eyeing her apprentice carefully. "And I don't know how you are tangled up into this. This simply cannot be a coincidence having Uchiha Sasuke pass through the area in which he is being pursued the most. Allegedly wandering the forest in a trance-like state as though he has not a care in the world. Don't you think it's a little odd? In addition, he disappeared the day you got sick? Just know that you are – and I'm convinced that you are – the key to solving this matter. And you might also find the answers you seek."

Sakura stood there frozen in place, the weight of what was said was now hanging in the air like a thick, moist blanket. It was hard to breathe.

Her mind was reeling; it didn't know what to grab onto. This might be the answer she had been looking for all along. Medical Ninjutsu provided no answers; she had tried everything, researched every possibility, analyzed every resource at her disposal to no avail. Nothing could explain or determine the cause of her symptoms, why she fell ill, why her chakra was not replenishing as it should. This was all having a detrimental effect on her health, work and overall lifestyle.

The air of uncertainty was hanging over her like a black cloud, haunting her. Sakura did not like the feeling of 'not knowing'. She always made it her business to know as much of something as possible. Repeatedly failing to find an answer for her inexplicable symptoms were gnawing on her confidence she'd taken so long to build up. She dared not hope anymore. Whatever hope was left had now withered like a neglected flower.

And yet…this could be the answer.

She could not help but feel cautiously optimistic at the thought.

"Sakura." The Hokage said, snapping Sakura out of her reverie.

"Hai, Shishou."

"I need you to be perfectly honest with me now," Tsunade said fiercely with a piercing stare to match. "Have you had any other dreams like this? Of the search team who had gone missing, perhaps?"

"No, Shishou. That was the only dream I had regarding the missing shinobi." Sakura uttered the half-truth, her head bowed, heart hammering against her chest. She truly hoped she didn't have to relay her most intimate dreams to the room.

"I see." Tsunade sighed, as though this revealed something to her. "Again, this is just a guess, but I think this has more to do with the missing Uchiha than the other Nin."

Tsunade fixed Sakura with a piercing stare, as though trying to read her thoughts. It was like this woman knew there was something missing. Like she knew-

' _No! No! No!'_ Sakura screamed in her head.

' _ **Yess!'**_ Inner Sakura jeered vehemently.

"Any other details would be useful, even when you think it's not." Tsunade continued.

' _Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! She saw right through me!'_ Sakura screamed, inwardly panicking like a nutcase. Should she relay her dreams? She could not possibly! Not in front of her teammates! The horrific image of her three teammates taunting her flashed across her mind. Sai would probably pick out a worse nickname. Naruto would tease her to no end. And Kakashi…he would probably think of her as a fellow hentai and start recommending Icha Icha to her!

' _Ahhh!'_ She would die of shame! What should she do? _'Lie lie lie!'_ Sakura thought desperately.

' _ **Hmph!'**_ inner sneered. _**'You honestly think you can fool Tsunade? Baka!'**_

"Sakura-chan," Naruto's concerned voice broke through her inner dispute, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Naruto." She replied, taking a deep breath.

What should she do? Fulfil her duty, be the professional Jōnin she is and just get it over with? Or lie through her teeth, hope they buy it and at least leave with some dignity.

It was the strangest thing. One second she was panicking and sweating under the scrutiny of her audience and the next moment Sakura felt an incredible serenity and clarity settle within her.

She vaguely noticed the humming in her chest, light and subtle vibrations caressing her from the inside, spreading a warmth throughout her body to her fingers and toes. What was this feeling? It was as though her body was in perfect harmony with the entire universe. She felt lighter than she'd ever felt before. Everything seemed so far away. She felt lighter than she'd ever felt before.

She could no longer see the Hokage's office in front of her, only a bright pink light. A light so soft, it didn't hurt her eyes. She hadn't felt peace like this in a long time. It felt like she was a flower petal, slowly drifting down to earth, swaying gently.

Suddenly, Sakura gasped out in pain and before knew it, her vision went blurry and it all turned black. For a fleeting moment, she could have sworn she saw angry, blazing red eyes illuminated in darkness.

"Sakura!"

Someone was calling her.

"Sakura! Can you hear me?" Someone was holding her. It was warm, comfortable.

Jade eyes eased open and she found herself staring into the concerned blue eyes of Naruto. His arms were around her and they were on the floor. How did she end up on the floor?

"W-what happened?" Sakura whispered as she tried to sit up.

"You just passed out." Naruto said, helping her up.

"Sakura" A voice belonging to Tsunade said urgently. The Hokage was kneeling next to her, hands glowing green with healing chakra. "Did you see something?"

Sakura nodded, not surprised that her Shishou knew what had happened.

"I saw Sasuke." She said, suddenly shuddering. "He was angry. Very angry."

"What does this mean?" Naruto exclaimed. It was clear he was frustrated, his hands gripped her arms firmly but not enough to hurt her.

Sakura knew how he felt and she was frustrated too.

Tsunade seemed to be deep in thought as healing glow in her hands gently receded. She stood up and resumed pacing, her fingers tapping her chin.

"I'm fine now, thanks Naruto." Sakura said as she slowly got up.

Naruto helped her up, a faint frown of worry still on his face.

"It would seem," she said after a while of pacing, turning to regard team Kakashi "that we are no closer to figuring this thing out."

Tsunade sighed, "The only thing we can do now is to have Sakura investigate the sphere. She seems to be connected to it on an energetic level. That is the only probable solution currently.

"I understand, Shishou" Sakura bowed her head. "I'm ready to do what is necessary to figure this out."

"You won't have to do it alone, Sakura-chan." Naruto said, his arms folded determinedly.

Sakura felt a sense of gratitude towards her blonde team-mate and she couldn't help but crack a smile.

"So everything is connected to Sakura and this strange ball of light" Kakashi said pensively.

"It seems that way," The Hokage concurred. "The Anbu team I sent to scout the area has established the assumed location of the sphere, they can't approach it and we have laid a parameter in the area where the anomaly is rumored to be found. This is to prevent anyone else from falling victim to it. Any shinobi with an ocular Kekkei Genkai had been dispatched to help with solving this puzzle…"

This was good, Sakura thought, but again, the Hokage's expression said otherwise. Also, the way she stated it 'established the assumed location of the sphere' and 'where the anomaly is rumored to be found' suggests that they have not yet found it, it was just conjecture.

The room was filled with a tense silence as though waiting for Tsunade give them good news.

"Did they find anything, Hokage-sama?" Sakura braved the question when silence stretched too far.

"The efforts have been futile." Shishou said after a pause. "It seems…whatever this sphere is, not even the Byakugan can locate it. Which leads us back to Sakura, who was the only one who has seen it and not been affected, even though it had been through a dream."

Tsunade paused and sighed, "Regardless of how we look at this, it is still risky."

Team Kakashi exchanged tense glances.

Sakura knew this was a risk, but being a shinobi will always have a certain amount of risk. This is what they are trained for, to expect the unexpected. To face danger head on and adapt to it. Sakura is sick and tired of being afraid and not being able to do anything. Sick of uncertainty and hopelessness her condition had made her feel.

"Shishou." Sakura said firmly, "As a kunoichi, a member of team Kakashi and as your Apprentice I am ready to do what is necessary to solve this. I know the risk, but I refuse to live in fear of the unknown!"

There was that small, subtle smile again combined with a hint of pride on the Hokage's face. But Sakura knew she was the only one who saw it.

"Alright, now that everyone is prepared, you are dismissed." Tsunade barked. "Be ready to leave as soon as possible."


End file.
